Apparatus for exchanging the heat of liquids



1,476,061 F. DUVIEUSART APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING THE HEM? OF LIQUIDS Dec. 4 1923.

s Shets-Sheet 1 rqr Filed April 3 1920 INVENTUR FDuv-ieuswrfi ATTORNEY De.4,1923. v 1,476,061

-F. DUVIEUSART APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING THE HEAT OF LIQUIDS Filed April 5, 1920 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Hi a mvamon FjDuzrLeu an B s t mmu. ATTORNH Dec. 4 1923.

1,476,061 F. DUVIEUSART APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING THE HEAT 0F mounis I Filed April 5 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTUR FfDwv-iewsan-Z %W.M ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1923.

UNITED STATES FRANQOIS DUVIEUSART, 0F SANTIAGO, CHILE.

APPARATUS FOR EXCHANGING THE HEAT OF LIQUIDS.

Application filed April 3, 1920. Serial No. 371,080}.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnANgoIs DovIEUsAR'r, a subject of the King of the Belgians, residing at Casilla 128 r antiago, Chile, have invented certa-in new and useful Improved Apparatus for Exchanging the Heat of Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for exchanging the heat of liquids and to a continuous crystallizing apparatus.

It is broadly known to cool or to heat a liquid by bringing it into direct contact with a non-miscible liquid having a lower or higher temperature than the first liquid.

It is also known in the process of crystallizing margarine by cooling of the emulsion with water, to move the emulsion and the water relatively to each other in such a manner that at the same time that each has its principal direction of movement, they are mixed with each other, by the aid of mechanical means.

The invention consists in a process for exchanging the heat of liquids in which a liquid which is non-miscible with respect to solutions to be treated, is used as a heat carrier from one to the other of the solutions.

Another feature of the invention consists in effecting the crystallization of a solution by passing the solution to be crystallized through a non-miscible liquid, the temperature of which is lower than the temperature of the solution, or vice versa, the heat ac quired by the non-miscible liquid during the crystallization process, being afterwards recuperated.

The invention also consists in the improved apparatus for exchanging the heat of liquids for various purposes, as hereinafter more particularly referred to.

Figs. 1, 2. 3 and 1- in the accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example different arrangements for carrying the invention into effect.

The apparatus is composed of two vertical tubes 1 and 2 (Fig. 1) containing a nonmiscible liquid which at starting fills the tubes up to the lower distributors 3 and 4, for instance, petrol, if the treated liquids are aqueous solutions or water. In the description of the apparatus hereinafter given, by way of example, the word petrol will be used instead of non-miscible 0r insoluble liquid, it being understood that any other non-miscible liquid may be employed instead.

The hot liquid is admitted into the tube 1 through the tube 5, and distributor 6, and it falls in small drops into the petrol. The distributor is constructed in such a manner as to ensure a distribution as uniform as possible of the drops of liquid throughout the whole section of the tube. For this purpose use may be made of a perforated basket or of the distributor hereinafter described.

The hot liquid after being cooled in its passage through the layer of petrol in the tube 1 flows out through the tube 7 .The level at which the discharge takes place is regulated by the cooks 8 and 9, according to the density of the liquid.

The tube 2 receives the cold liquids which are to be heated, the latter arriving through the tube 10 and distributor 11 and falling in small drops into the petrol in the tube 2. The heated liquid flows out through the tube 12, the level of the discharge being regulated by the cook 13 or 14 according to the density of the liquid, and the tube 2 being full of petrol from the lower distributor at up to the upper end of the tube. The height of liquid in the outlet tube must balance the column of liquid in the tube 2.

The cold petrol contained in the tank 15 is pumped by the pump 16 into the tube 1 through the pipe 17 and distributed by the distributor 3. This petrol is heated in its passage through 1 and flows out through the tube 18 which leads it to the lower part of the tube 2 Where it is distributed throughout the whole section of the tube, being cooled when rising in the tube 2 by the drops of cold liquid which fall through. \Vhen the petrol arrives at the upper part of the tube 2, it flows into the pump 16 which forces it into the lower part of the tube 1 the petrol being thus caused to circulate in a closed circuit.

In order to empty the apparatus of the petrol it contains, the cooks 18, 14, 8 and 9 provided in the tube connections 19, 20, 21, 22 are closed, and the liquids sucked through by the pumps 23 and 24.

Instead of causing the liquids to pass in the form of drops through the non-miscible liquid, the non-m scible liquid may be caused to pass through the liquids to be heated or cooled. in the present case, the tubes 1 and 2 being filled with water or with solutions up to the upper distributors 11, 6 the petrol is divided into small drops at the lower part of these tubes.

If the non-miscible liquid i denser than respond to the density the liquids to be treated, the la ter fill the tubes 1 and 2 up to the upper end, and the movement of the non-miscible liquid is effected by the inlet and outlet tubes 01' the liquids to be heated or cooled, the apparatus being arranged for this purpose.

The distributor may be constituted by a tube through which the liquid jet passes in a vertical direction (Fig. 2), the section of the liquid jet being successively reduced in a manner known with spraying devices by horizontal plates or discs 25, 26. 27, 28, 29 and 30 provided with a central circular hole 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, respectively. By this construction the liquid jet continuously reduced and the last plate 87 which is not perforated distributes the remainder of the jet completely. lVhen the liquid meets the first plate 25, the orifice in the latter being narrower than the inlet opening 32, a fraction of the liquid is distributed in small drops in the petrol, another "fraction 01' the liquid being distributed by the plate 26, and s0 on. In addition to this hnown arrangement of spraying. ri 238. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 44 are provided tor changing the horizontal movement of the drops o't liquid into a vertical movement.

lVhen the heat exchanger is applied to solutions which form crystals when they are cooled it is modified so to constitute a crystallizing apparatus.

The solution to be crystallized falls in drops through the distributru (Fig. 3) into the tube 46 which is filled with petrol or with another non-miscible liquid. The drops of liquid pass through the petrol because of the difference of density, and daring' this passage. the liquid cooled and caused to crystallize. Liquid and crystals accumulate in the lower part of the tube in a cone 47 from which they re pumped through pipe 48 by means of a pump 49 int a tank 50 provided with an inclined endless screw :tor the removal of crystals. llhis tank and the tube 46 are relatively placed in such a manner that their levels shall corol' the liquids so that the latter shall be balanced. The separation of the petrol and of the crystallized liquid is effected at the lower part of the tube 46 and at a height depending on the level in the tank 50. The higher the latter, the greater is the distance from the bottom of the tube 46 at which the separation is clifooted.

A return pipe 51 for the liquid starts from a point of the tank 50 where the crystals are-already deposited, and leads to the top of the cone 47, thus establishing a cycle of closed circulation when the pump 49 is in action. The tube 46 is fed by the pump 52. The pressure in the distributor is established in where a bypass 54 regulates the quantity of feeding liquid.

in .30, is discharged to theteed-pump The tank 50 is divided in a direction per-' pendicula-r to the direction or flow of the liquid by perforated *alls 58 which establish the uniformity oi? the flow of the liquid throughout the whole section of the tank. The tube 57 is also filled with petrol or with another non-miscible liquid. The liquid coming: from the tank 50 is distributed by the distributor 59 and falls in small. drops through the petrol. The heated liquid is discharged through the tube GO the length of which is regulated so as to establish the levels in the tubes 57 and 60 uccord ng to the density of the liquids and the working of the apparatus. The separation of petrol and liquid is effected at the lower part of the tube 57.

The apparatus being; in regular working, the petrol in the tube 46 becomes heated by contact with the liquid to be crystallized. The warmer petrol is at the upper part of the tube l6 from which it is discharged by the tube Gl into the lower end of the tube 57, where it is uniiormly distributed throughout the whole section of the tube 57 by the distributor 62.

The quantity of petrol discharged through 61 is replaced by a quantity oi cold petrol which arrives at the lower part oi the tube 46 by the conduit 63.

The petrol contained in the tube 57 is warm at the lower part oi": the tube and cold at the upper part thereof. The liquid to be heated arrives cold at the upper part of 57 and falls in drops into the petrol and throughout the whole section of the tube 57. These small drops are heated in their passage and the petrol, the movement of which takes place upwards, is cooled. The petrol which arrives hotby the tube (il a t the lower part of the tube 57. arrives cold at the upper part of the latter tube, and is discharged through the conduit 6-4 into the lower end of the tube 65. This tube (35 is also tilled with petrol or nouuniscible liquid. and its object is to cool the petrol to a lower temperature than that which it possessed at its outlet from the tube 57.

To this effect, at the upper part of the tube 65, a distributor 66 divides into small drops and throughout the entire section of the tube, either cold water or a saline solution, the temperature of which has been lowered in an ice-making machine 67, 68, 69. The water or the saline solution flows out through the tube 70.

The cold petrol leaves the tube through the conduit 71 and is collected in a tank 72, where a pump 73 drives it through 63 into the tube 46, the circuit thus starting again. The'quantity of petrol put in. circulation is regulated by the cook 74. The cooks 75, 76,

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77 are air cocks, whilst the cocks 78, T9,, 80 on their respective pipes serve to empty the apparatus of the. petrol which it contains.

When the liquid to be crystallized pro duces many crystals, as for instance the solutions of nitrate of sodium, the number of calories supplied by the crystallization and delivered to the petrol, are removed by an additional quantity of water added to the tank 50. This additional quantity of water may be cooled by evaporation in the air or by evaporation in vacuum.

In the apparatus above described the liquid to be crystallized is passed through the non-miscible liquid, and vice versa, the nonmiscible liquid may be caused to pass through the solution to be cooled.

The exchange of heat between the hot petrol and the cold liquid may also be effected after crystallization in any ordinary heat exchanger. Further, the cooling tubes may be placed in the crystallizer itself, the exchange of heat between the petrol and the cold water being effected through metallic walls in the upward. movement of the water.

It is obvious that the temperature of crystallization may be regulated and, by that fact, if the same solutions are crystallized several times at different temperatures, fractional crystallization is eiiected. This process may serve for separating the nitrate of sodium from the nitrate oi potassium, the perchlorate or" potassium from the nitrate of sodium, etc.

We will now consider a further application of the invention, viz, the crystallization of saturated saline solutions holding in solution nitrate of sodium or nitrate of potassium.

The saturated solutions of sodium chlorid have a lower freezing point than the solutions of the cited nitrates. It is therefore possible to lower the temperature of solutions of nitrate of sodium or potassium saturated with sodium. chlorid to a point where the nitrates precipitate ahnost entirely. The crystallization according to this process is carried out in two phases. In the first phase, the solutions of nitrates are cooled to a temperature of about 10 C. and they are saturated with sodium chlorid at this temperature. The salt solutions are afterwards cooled to a temperature near their freezing point.

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the apparatus used. During the first phase of the crystallization the liquids are cooled in 81 down to 10. The saturation with sodium chlorid takes place in 82, and the cooling is continued in 83. The precipitated salts are collected in Sat and 85. The coo-led liquids are heated first in 86 and afterwards in 87 carrying with them the heat of the non-miscible liquid. The latter after being discharged from 87 is finally cooled in the tank 88 which in its turn is cooled by an icemaking machine.

The circulation of the non-miscible liquid is shown by the arrows h, and that of the solutions by the arrows 2'.

I Wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular application, nor to the various details hereinbefore given by way of example.

What I claim is 2- 1. A heat exchanging apparatus for solutions having in combination means for causing a non-miscible liquid after it has lowered the temperature of a solution and another liquid having a higher temperature than the non-miscible 1i uid to travel in opposite directions throng the same receptacle, means for cooling the hot solution in two stages and means for saturating it with a salt after the first stage, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A heat-exchanging apparatus as claimed in claim 1, having means for returnin the cooled non-miscible liquid into one oi the two rece tacles containing the hot solution to be coo ed, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRANQOIB DU VIEUSART. 

